No side, perhaps, are quite so aware of how much each point matters as Arsenal. It’s only September: to speak of key moments in the title race at this stage feels exaggerated, even anachronistic. But there’s no denying this was a huge win for Mikel Arteta’s side if only because, had they not won, it would have felt like a huge opportunity missed – and Arsenal in recent seasons have become a side who have not taken their chances.
That they began the weekend five points behind Liverpool was more to do with the fixture list than any great shortcoming on their part; losing away to the champions and drawing at home against Manchester City, even if there were reservations about the nature of the performances, are not in themselves terrible results.
Nor could anybody have been too critical if they’d dropped points at Newcastle, particularly given their recent record at St James’ Park. But Liverpool’s defeat at Crystal Palace had given Arsenal the opportunity to move within two points at the top; not to have leapt on their slip up would have played into the narrative that Arsenal do not have the edge of champions.
And Arsenal did wobble, did feel the pressure of expectation, despite being the better side for the first half-hour. Nick Pope made two excellent saves and Leandro Trossard hit the post while VAR denied them a penalty after the goalkeeper had appeared to trip Viktor Gyökeres, determining that the slight flick the ball took off Pope’s toe was sufficient to mean that it didn’t matter that the forward then went sprawling over his leg.
RM Block
Perhaps the decision was right; the truth is nobody now has any idea what a foul is. Sometimes VAR intervenes, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it seems to be looking for reasons to overturn the on-field decision; sometimes it steps back, aloof, and washes its hand of responsibility. At this stage, it’s probably best to regard it as an arbitrary influence, like a bobble or a sudden gust of wind; to seek reason in its ministrations is to retreat into a cabbalistic world of conspiracy and pettifogging exegesis.
Who knows any more? The laws have become a maze of illogical technicalities. Certainly, this felt like a spectacular moment of VAR brain, allowing one fragile counterargument to overrule what everybody thought they’d seen. It has not been a good weekend for VAR, but then you could say that every week. Even more annoying for Arsenal, the ball broke to Bukayo Saka. Had the referee Jarred Gillett not initially given the penalty, Saka would have had the ball unmarked in an extremely dangerous position to the left of goal.
Having had one technicality go against them, Arsenal then kept trying to get one in their favour, every ball they played into the box leading to a flurry of appeals and recriminations. But this is what VAR encourages, particularly as the game takes a more physical turn and comes increasingly to prioritise set plays; all three goals here came from corners.
Soon after the penalty incident, Nick Woltemade, arms extended, nudged Gabriel before heading in the opener. For a player who is supposedly not as good in the air as his height may suggest he should be, the German seems remarkably good in the air. Two seasons ago, Joelinton scored the winner against Arsenal after a supposed push on the same defender: that was a decision that could have gone either way but, for all Arteta’s protests, this was just weak from Gabriel – who was then extremely fortunate to get away without punishment for a subsequent clash with Woltemade. This time VAR turned a blind eye.
The goal felt almost designed to irritate Arsenal; the corner that led to the goal stemmed from a barely explicable slice from Cristhian Mosquera. The Spanish centre back has had a promising start to life in the Premier League, but seemed unsettled throughout the first half and was withdrawn at the break. Arsenal generally seemed rattled. Seven of the eight chances they had in the first half came before the Newcastle goal.
Everything seemed set for another Arteta rant, for more cursing the fates, the referee, the VAR. But this time Arsenal stabilised. This time they came again. They never quite regained the fluency they’d shown in the opening half-hour, but while an occasional over-reliance on set plays can at times seem to disrupt their rhythm, their excellence from corners means they will always pose a threat. First Mikel Merino glanced in following a short corner from the left, then, deep into injury-time, Gabriel headed in a corner from the right. Arsenal had stared down their demons and overcome them.
It’s only three points. The season has barely begun. There’s an awfully long way to go. Liverpool shouldn’t yet fear the breath on their neck, but if Arsenal had dropped eight points from the first 18 available, if they had let another opportunity slip by, that could have been devastating for their title hopes. A victory in September won’t win a side the championship but a failure to win and the psychological repercussions might have caused them to lose it. – Guardian
